PUNTA GORDA — The large green space, now often used for events or — to the dismay of many Punta Gordans, leaving a huge hole in the center of the downtown — was once the location of Punta Gorda’s grand hotel.
The Hotel Punta Gorda and its grounds also included what is now the SpringHill Suites by Marriott and the Charlevoi Apartments on the shore of Charlotte Harbor.
Construction of Hotel Punta Gorda began during the town’s beginnings in 1886. It first welcomed guests for the 1888 winter season and, voila, Punta Gorda became a tourist destination…